Ravindra Jadeja's statement recorded in the Lion selfie case

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has recorded his statement in the Lion selfie case. Jadeja along with his wife had taken selfies with lions at Wildlife Sanctuary at Gir in Junagadh during their visit a month ago.

He had posted the pictures on his Instagram account and Aniruddh Pratap Singh, chief conservator of forests (CCF) of Junagadh wildlife circle said, “Gir National Park and Sanctuary is a protected forest and tourists are not allowed to get down from vehicles while inside the jungle. But pictures showing the cricketer having got down from vehicle in the jungle and having taken selfies with lions are circulating on social media. Even some forest guards are seen with him in photographs. Therefore, we have ordered GNPS superintendent to conduct an inquiry into the incident and file a report.”

After Jadeja’s statement, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Junagadh, AP Singh said that “After the matter came to our knowledge a month back, we summoned Jadeja to record his statement with us. He has recorded his statement now. We are in the process of preparing the final report, based on which action will be taken.”

However, he didn’t reveal details from the cricketer’s recorded statement. “This was a serious issue, as such acts are a clear violation of Wildlife Protection Act. We will take action based on the report, which will be prepared and submitted within next few days,” Singh said.

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Forest guards deployed with tourists were also seen with the couple. Jadeja and his wife were off their jeep, on the ground, with a Lion meters away. The pictures were later pulled down from his account after the FIR and outrage.